


Silver & Gold

by missdibley



Series: Tom Actually: The Twelve Toms of Christmas [2]
Category: British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, Unrelated (2007), Unrelated (2007) RPF
Genre: AU Unrelated, Angst, Christmas, Existing Relationship, F/M, Unrelated AU, fireplace, hot toddies, unrelated
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 11:18:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13029918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missdibley/pseuds/missdibley
Summary: It's Christmas Eve in Putney, and Oakley and Helen are about to exchange presents.





	Silver & Gold

**Author's Note:**

> Obvious influence from _Love Actually_.

“The thing with Dickie... it's like the sun shines on you, and it's glorious. And then he forgets you and it's very, very cold… When you have his attention, you feel like you're the only person in the world, that's why everybody loves him so much.”  
_The Talented Mr. Ripley_

* * *

When Christmas Eve arrived in Putney, it brought with it snow and a blustery wind. A wind robust enough to rattle the windows of the blue house on Deodar Road.

The house on Deodar Road was home to three children — eight year old Violet Pembroke Oakley, and her four year old brothers, Theodore Christopher Oakley and George Thomas Oakley. Violet decorated Christmas biscuits, baked just that morning by herself (with assistance provided by her mother), to leave for Santa. Teddy and George worked on their Christmas wish lists, making last minute additions before they climbed upstairs with their mother for baths and bedtime.

With her children so occupied, Helen waited at the picture window for her husband to come home. She had no reason to suspect anything was wrong. Oakley had simply nipped out to the shops, a last minute errand to buy one more gift. Helen guessed it was meant for her.

It was their tradition that, after the children left milk and cookies for Santa, Oakley and Helen would retrieve the presents from their hiding place, place them under the tree, then eat the treats. Their gifts to each other were always the last to come out but the first to be opened, on that very night. They’d open their presents, make love, then go to sleep. That there was nothing for Helen among the boxes and bags that waited in Oakley’s study did not concern her. As soon as Oakley came home, gift in hand, Christmas Eve would go on as normal.

When Oakley burst through the door, which was the only way he ever made an entrance, he did so with a laugh. Helen tasted smoke on his lips when he kissed her, and frowned.

“Oak…” She muttered. “Come on.”

“Oh, Helen,” he replied, pulling her into his arms. When she shivered against him, pressed as she was against his cold, wet coat, he tightened his grasp. “Sorry, love.”

Before she could forgive him, the boys ran over to tug on the hem of Oakley’s coat. Teddy and George handed up lists that were sticky with melted chocolate and frosting.

“Daddy, we finished,” said Teddy proudly. “Pwomise you give ‘em to Sanna?’

Oakley nodded. “Of course. But you know Santa won’t come until you go to bed, right?”

George scowled. “We wanna meet him, Daddy.”

“Next year,” replied Helen. She smiled at Oakley. “Shall I…?”

Oakley shook his head. “I’ll take them up.”

“Then let me take your coat at least.”

Holding onto Oakley’s coat, she watched her husband shepherd their children up to bed. Three heads of shiny black hair, Violet’s and Teddy’s bone straight while George sported a mop of curls that belied his serious nature. They had Helen’s dark eyes and rosy complexions, with Oakley’s long limbs and sharp cheekbones. She winced when she saw how their wrists and ankles were bared by their pajamas, but just a little as new sets were among the gifts they’d open in the morning.

Just as Helen was hanging up Oakley’s coat, she felt something hard in one of the pockets. She knew she shouldn’t, but she reached in and withdrew a square box. Made of glossy red leather, the lid was stamped with an ornate border rendered in gold. The sight of it took her breath away, and when she opened it to find a gold necklace, she froze. Oakley wouldn’t be done with the children for a while but even so, Helen put the box back the way she left it, took a deep breath, and went to the kitchen to start cleaning up.

“You miss me?”

Oakley returned, dressed in his own pajamas, to find Helen sitting cross-legged in front of the fireplace. When he sat down to join her, she handed him a hot toddy.

“What’s the occasion?” Oakley took a sip and sighed contentedly. “This is perfect.”

“I just thought we could use an adult beverage.” She nodded at the Christmas tree, under which she had set a covered dish of Violet’s biscuits next to a sippy cup full of milk. “Before we have to eat those things.”

“A splendid idea.” Oakley leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “Helen?”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind if…?” Oakley’s eyes brightened, picking up the light and the heat of the fire. “We could exchange our presents now, if you like.”

“Oh are you that eager to get to what comes after?” Helen laughed, then squealed when Oakley began to crawl over her so he could noisily kiss her face and her neck.

“Maybe,” he drawled. “Please?”

“Oh fine,” Helen relented, thinking of the little red box. So it was with some surprise when Oakley got up and, instead of walking over to the closet where his coat was hanging, he stretched up, felt along the tops of the books that sat on the uppermost shelf of the built-in bookcase, and retrieved a deep blue velvet bag. She held it loosely in her hand, and pondered how light it felt.

“Well?” Oakley joined her once again on the floor.

“Oh, I should... “ Helen glanced at the closet door, then gathered herself with a deep breath. “I should get yours. It’s upstairs, with the children’s.”

“Oh no, please.” Oakley closed his hands around hers. “Open it now. I want to see how it looks.”

Nodding, Helen willed her hands to stop trembling as she pulled the drawstring bag open. When the contents slid into her palm, she stared at it quietly while Oakley talked excitedly about it.

“See? It’s a charm necklace. Genuine silver. There’s a flower for Violet…”

“Right,” said Helen.

“A teddy bear for Teddy, of course.” Oakley took it from her and held the necklace up for inspection. “And the fish for Georgie, our little swimmer.”

Helen’s eyes shone with tears as he put it on her. Tears which Oakley, in his excitement, mistook for joy. Sitting back from her, he admired the look of the necklace as it hung around her neck. The charms clustered together in a huddle at the base of her throat.

“Do you want to see how it looks?” He whispered.

“No,” she replied.

“Then I’ll tell you,” said Oakley. “You look…” He nuzzled her cheek. “Lovely.”

When he began to kiss her in earnest, pushing her back onto the soft carpet then fumbling with the buttons of her top, Helen closed her eyes. She kept them closed, despite the fact that when she did, all she saw was the gold necklace, resting in its red box, waiting to be given to somebody else.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a possible backdoor to a multi-chapter for Oakley and Helen I've been wanting to write for over a year now. If people dig it, I may finally go ahead and write it.


End file.
